Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Can sugar syrop and sorbitol be an alternative for PVP in hair styling gel?

  • Can sugar syrop and sorbitol be an alternative for PVP in hair styling gel?

    Posted by Fekher on July 23, 2022 at 8:22 pm

     Once upon a time I decided to make hair styling gel using “natural” hair fixing agent so I did it with sugar syrop and I made a lot of samples to see how the level of sugar syrop influence fixative and flaking effects, I gave  samples for a barber to give me a feed for the product so some samples had an acceptable results.

     Then by searching other solution I found a lol using sorbitol as fixing agent?

     Did any one try  or even have an idea about something like that? 

     So if we think about sugar syrop’s hair styling gel as industrial product is there any preservation challenge because the using of sugar?

      Look forward to hear from all feedback

     @chemicalmatt @MarkBroussard @ngarayeva001 @PhilGeis @Perry @Pharma 

    Farah replied 2 years, 4 months ago 5 Members · 20 Replies
  • 20 Replies
  • PhilGeis

    Member
    July 23, 2022 at 9:27 pm

    Aw is a tough one. Even at levels so great bugs can’t grow - they still survive.   Sugar - sucrose - would have to be about a lot!  70%, would approach 0.8 Aw. The absolute cutoff is about 0.60 so some mold could still grow.   Those that could grow would do so slowly - but ISO 29621 set the cutoff for Aw as cosmetic preservative at 0.7 0

    For comparison, honey is about 80% sugar, pH 3-4 and reportedly carries some other stuff bugs don’t like a little H2O2, peptides.

  • Fekher

    Member
    July 23, 2022 at 9:33 pm

    @PhilGeis thanks a lot but really it seems very developed idea can you explain me with easier way ?

  • PhilGeis

    Member
    July 23, 2022 at 10:00 pm

    Sure - the microbes need water and the sugar sucks up the water so it’s not available.  Pseudomonads are water bugs so they need the most water and are most sensitive.  staph grow on skin where there’s less water and molds need even less.

  • Fekher

    Member
    July 23, 2022 at 10:07 pm

    @PhilGeis get it now, so as a conclusion you guess that  product can be stable using preservative?

  • PhilGeis

    Member
    July 23, 2022 at 10:15 pm

    Think so

  • Fekher

    Member
    July 23, 2022 at 10:36 pm

    Thanks for your answer @PhilGeis 

  • Pharma

    Member
    July 24, 2022 at 9:29 am

    Sorbitol sounds safer… If you ever sell products with sugar syrup, don’t sell to Europe during summer/fall or your customers will have a real hard time running from hungry wasps ;) .

  • Fekher

    Member
    July 24, 2022 at 12:36 pm

     @Pharma so you didn’t find that good idea?
     Wasps are around the word, why just Europe? Hhh

  • vitalys

    Member
    July 24, 2022 at 12:47 pm

    @Fekher Arginine has excellent fixative properties as well.

  • Pharma

    Member
    July 24, 2022 at 4:13 pm

    @Fekher I only know that they get aggressive here around and during the warmer seasons, especially when it’s dry and hot like this year and they are very much attracted by sweets and sting unprovoked when they’re hungry. Wasps are likely not that much nicer in other parts of the world… I simply lack personal experience on other continents, that’s all ;) .

  • Fekher

    Member
    July 24, 2022 at 5:09 pm

    @Pharma actually according to what they do in Europe, in Tunisia are more kind maybe because we have a lot aromatic plants ????????????, whatever nice joke from your part then keep giving interesting sciences and good jokes.
     @vitalys nice new input for me , have you made a successful hair styling gel using it? 

  • vitalys

    Member
    July 24, 2022 at 5:18 pm

    @Fekher Yes, the creation of hair gels, hair sprays is feasible. The fixating is very similar to Lubrizol’s Fixate superhold polymer.

  • Farah

    Member
    July 24, 2022 at 5:38 pm

    I use agave and have used honey in the past! They work when humidity and dew points are manageable. They lose their ability to provide hold at high humidity and dews. They are typically used in conjunction with natural polymers like xanthan, etc. Very popular in the curly hair community. Honey is photosensitive so I’ve stopped using it. I have challenge tested one formulation with agave in it and it passed. 

    Kinky curly curling custard is one of the most successful commercial products that uses agave in its formulation. You may want to check it out. Never worked for my own hair but others swear by it. 

  • Fekher

    Member
    July 24, 2022 at 5:38 pm

    Awesome input @vitalys it seems that it has more then fixing agent as benefits just if you can recommend level of use because I just find that it is up to 18% wich is large interval.

     Thanks a lot @Farah I will take a look just focusing on fixing effect I worked with very high viscous sugar syrop wich have remarkable superior fixing ability comparing to honey then no need to talk about economical difference.

  • vitalys

    Member
    July 24, 2022 at 5:54 pm

    @Fekher Yes, it varies from 5% to 20% and it depends on the fixative properties you want to achieve. However, 5-8% will already bring nice fixation, especially in hair sprays. 

  • Fekher

    Member
    July 24, 2022 at 7:15 pm

    So generous @vitalys thanks a lot for your guidance it seems near to the interval of use for PVP ????

  • Fekher

    Member
    July 25, 2022 at 8:34 am

    @farah did you know the gelifying agent in 

    Kinky curly curling custard? It seems for me intersting
  • Farah

    Member
    July 25, 2022 at 9:05 am

    @Fekher it’s the pectin. And the agave adds additional hold. 

  • Fekher

    Member
    July 25, 2022 at 9:35 am

     Yes right @Farah did you try pectine it is also natural alternative? 

  • Farah

    Member
    July 25, 2022 at 9:08 pm

    @Fekher I haven’t tried pectin myself. I’ve heard it’s very difficult to work with and can get sticky. But it seems to work well in this product.

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